Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 May 5, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings
Fritz Lang's Metropolis is Resurrected and Appears May 7, 2010
When Fritz Lang's Metropolis premiered in America in 1927, the American public saw only an edited version, cut almost in half from its original three hours. Now, almost a century later, Americans will have a chance to see the film in its most complete version. On Friday, May 7, 2010, Kino International kicks off the North American screenings of the resurrected and restored silent film classic, Metropolis.The Birth of Metropolis in Berlin, 1927
A satirical science-fiction vision of the future combined with social criticism, Metropolis was almost three hours long when it premiered in Berlin, Germany, January 10, 1927, running at about 153 minutes.
Directed by Fritz Lang and based on a novel by his wife, Thea von Harbou, Metropolis depicts a futuristic, two-tiered society, with wealthy, detached rulers supported by slave-like workers kept oppressed in an underground factory and tenements.
The story revolves around the ruler's son, who falls in love with Maria, a woman from the underground. Maria envisions an equal society where the heart is the mediator between the ruler-the head-and the hands-the workers. To thwart her, the ruler enlists the aid of a mad scientist to create a robot in Maria's likeness that almost destroys the hope of a better world.
One of the viewers in Berlin was Adolfo Wilson, an Argentine film distributor. He purchased rights and brought the reels of the complete Metropolis back to Argentina, where the film was placed into storage, and believed lost.
The Cutting of Metropolis
Before its New York premier in March 1927, Paramount Pictures and distributor Channing Pollock cut Metropolis almost in half, partly due to worries that American audiences wouldn't attend a long film, and partly because Pollock didn't like the film. Additionally, the theme and visual allusions struck close to the heart of the factories and assembly-line working conditions of many Americans, similar to the Metropolis enslaved workers kept under the thumb of heartless corporate rulers.
Subsequent copies were in bad condition due to age. Giorgio Moreoder's 1984 release inserted some still photos to help continuity, and replaced the original Gottfried Huppertz score with songs from rock and roll musicians. A 2001 "definitive" verison added a few minutes of film.
The Restoration of Metropolis
In Argentina, film archivists Fernando Pena and Paula Felix-Didier spent 20 years searching for Adolfo Wilson's elusive copy of Metropolis. In 2008, their diligence was rewarded. Finally able to search the archives of the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires, they discovered the full-length Metropolis. This version contained 25 minutes thought to be lost forever. By joining this section to a 2001 "definitive" version, the film is now nearly complete.
The Complete Metropolis
On Friday, May 7, 2010, Kino International is releasing the 2010 version with the original Gottfried Huppertz score and additional 25 minutes of footage. The film now runs 147 minutes.
With the restoration has come a change in theme. The cropped versions contained social criticism, but emphasized the science fiction aspect and images. With the lost scenes added, Metropolis returns to a social criticism emphasis. Larry Rohter in his May 4, 2010 New York Times article, "Footage Restored to Fritz Lang's Metropolis," includes a quote from German film archivist Martin Koerber.
“It’s no longer a science-fiction film. The balance of the story has been given back. It’s now a film that encompasses many genres, an epic about conflicts that are ages old. The science-fiction disguise is now very, very thin.”
Each time Metropolis has undergone a metamorphosis, critics and scholars have stated that the film is now in the most restored version. Parts of Metropolis are still missing, presumed lost forever. Yet given the film's lost again-found again history,Metropolis-lovers hope that the film will one day be complete.
Rohter, Larry. "Footage Restored to Fritz Lang's Metropolis." The New York Times. May 4, 2010.
A satirical science-fiction vision of the future combined with social criticism, Metropolis was almost three hours long when it premiered in Berlin, Germany, January 10, 1927, running at about 153 minutes.
Directed by Fritz Lang and based on a novel by his wife, Thea von Harbou, Metropolis depicts a futuristic, two-tiered society, with wealthy, detached rulers supported by slave-like workers kept oppressed in an underground factory and tenements.
The story revolves around the ruler's son, who falls in love with Maria, a woman from the underground. Maria envisions an equal society where the heart is the mediator between the ruler-the head-and the hands-the workers. To thwart her, the ruler enlists the aid of a mad scientist to create a robot in Maria's likeness that almost destroys the hope of a better world.
One of the viewers in Berlin was Adolfo Wilson, an Argentine film distributor. He purchased rights and brought the reels of the complete Metropolis back to Argentina, where the film was placed into storage, and believed lost.
The Cutting of Metropolis
Before its New York premier in March 1927, Paramount Pictures and distributor Channing Pollock cut Metropolis almost in half, partly due to worries that American audiences wouldn't attend a long film, and partly because Pollock didn't like the film. Additionally, the theme and visual allusions struck close to the heart of the factories and assembly-line working conditions of many Americans, similar to the Metropolis enslaved workers kept under the thumb of heartless corporate rulers.
Subsequent copies were in bad condition due to age. Giorgio Moreoder's 1984 release inserted some still photos to help continuity, and replaced the original Gottfried Huppertz score with songs from rock and roll musicians. A 2001 "definitive" verison added a few minutes of film.
The Restoration of Metropolis
In Argentina, film archivists Fernando Pena and Paula Felix-Didier spent 20 years searching for Adolfo Wilson's elusive copy of Metropolis. In 2008, their diligence was rewarded. Finally able to search the archives of the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires, they discovered the full-length Metropolis. This version contained 25 minutes thought to be lost forever. By joining this section to a 2001 "definitive" version, the film is now nearly complete.
The Complete Metropolis
On Friday, May 7, 2010, Kino International is releasing the 2010 version with the original Gottfried Huppertz score and additional 25 minutes of footage. The film now runs 147 minutes.
With the restoration has come a change in theme. The cropped versions contained social criticism, but emphasized the science fiction aspect and images. With the lost scenes added, Metropolis returns to a social criticism emphasis. Larry Rohter in his May 4, 2010 New York Times article, "Footage Restored to Fritz Lang's Metropolis," includes a quote from German film archivist Martin Koerber.
“It’s no longer a science-fiction film. The balance of the story has been given back. It’s now a film that encompasses many genres, an epic about conflicts that are ages old. The science-fiction disguise is now very, very thin.”
Each time Metropolis has undergone a metamorphosis, critics and scholars have stated that the film is now in the most restored version. Parts of Metropolis are still missing, presumed lost forever. Yet given the film's lost again-found again history,Metropolis-lovers hope that the film will one day be complete.
References
Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Kino International Website.Rohter, Larry. "Footage Restored to Fritz Lang's Metropolis." The New York Times. May 4, 2010.
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